Packing up to work/volunteer abroad

britannia6

A few years ago, I volunteered in Ghana through Teaching and Projects Abroad (now called Projects Abroad - http://www.projects-abroad.co.uk/prices/) for three months. I had never done anything like that before and there were definite advantages to using an organisation. They sorted the accommodation and insurance and found me a work placement. Once I was there, there was a whole network of other volunteers to meet and socialise with and in fact, this played one of the most important parts. The volunteers provided their own support network, looked out for new people arriving and helped them through the first few weeks.

Having said that, we all felt for the money we'd paid, TPA didn't actually do very much and that if we did it again, we'd organise it all ourselves. Obviously, our experience in having done it once would help us to do this.

I think it all depends on whether you have experience of travelling and organising things for yourself. If you're the sort of person who'd rather go on a package holiday and not have to worry about the organisation then get someone to do it for you. If you're the type of person who just books flights and worries about the rest when you arrive, you'd probably manage to sort it out yourself.

On the budget you have, it’s unlikely you’d be able to volunteer for a year through an organisation.

SailorSam

Why join Ecoteer - cheap volunteer work, volunteer jobs opportunities abroad

Volunteer Abroad - Work overseas with lions in South Africa

Person_one

This thread is a year old and the OP hasn't posted since.

SailorSam

Person_one wrote: »

This thread is a year old and the OP hasn't posted since.

I didn't realise that.
I wonder if he's in the middle of the Amazon rainforest now, fighting snakes.

charlea

however i would reccomed this website called aihttp://www.volunteersouthamerica.net/ which is bascially list a lot of the volunteers organisations in south america and the surrounding areas your cutting out the middle man and so can do a lot more
with your money


there are one where you arrange your own accomodation and one where you live in but they are all listed on the website soeasy to work out which one are which


some of them require a placement fee but its around 100 - 200 us dollars but even so its still cheaper than the companies that organise it all for you in fact some of the companies use the volunteers places as well
m sister in law did this one 18 months ago and loved it

http://www.teachhuarazperu.org/volunteering

she paid 200 us dollars placement fee which was for admin and collection /drop off at the airports settling her inn orientation and help when she was there if needed and she stayed for two months which was a further 800 use dollars which included staying with a local family private room and bathroom 3 meals a day ect
so roughly 100us dollars for 2 months plus 500 for her return flight im sure she did it on under less than 1600 uk pounds for two months that would probalby only get you 2 week in alot of places with the so called volunteer organisations


the majority on the website offers free and low cost voluntering in south america you pay for your flight insurance and personal stuff and then depending on what you do between 15 dollars a day or 80 -100 dollars a week depending on how long you stay ie from 2 weeks to 6 months but even staying a month it would not be more than 250 - 300 uk pounds
the prices include basic food ie 3 meals a day and water and accomodation generally
a lot of them of church based organisations and they are a hell of alot cheaper than payin thousands of pounds to volunteer